Board expects 300 tonnes of vanilla worth K90 million

THE PNG Spice Board Industry anticipates that Milne Bay and Northern will produce around 300,000kg of vanilla by September through a revitalisation programme set to start soon in both province, chief executive officer Nelson Simbiken says.
Simbiken said this would be worth around K90 million in the Dubai markets alone which had opened up for the country.
He said the revitalisation programme would impact around 2,276 vanilla farmers.
“Government through NEC has approved K5 million for vanilla revitalisation and farming intervention programmes for farmers in Milne Bay and Northern,” Simbiken told The National.
“We have 2,276 vanilla farmers in those two province and we are estimating a total of 300,000kg of vanilla to be harvested by September this year. We have a market in Dubai, we have so many markets but a good market in Dubai has now opened up. We also have markets in China as well and we are preparing for that.
“With the current market price for the Dubai market around K300 per kilogramme, we are looking at about K90 million if we export around 300,000kg or 300 tonnes.”